Industry Expert Easton to Address Collision Shop Leaders at PPG Refinish 2004 Performance Summit

PITTSBURGH--Sept. 30, 2004--Tom Easton, motivational speaker and creator of skill development programs for the automotive aftermarket industry, will deliver the keynote speech at the PPG Refinish 2004 Performance Summit, Oct. 15, 2004, in Orlando, Fla. Recognized in the field of employee motivation, Easton is dedicated to helping others who are driven to achieve peak performance in their business and personal lives.

Themed "Driven by Performance," the summit is structured to offer MVP Roundtable and CertifiedFirst(TM) Network shops insights to remain the driving force in a competitive market, said Georgina Sweeney, manager of the CertifiedFirst Network, which includes more than 1,600 dealership and independent auto body repair centers throughout North America.

Easton has served on the board of trustees of the Automotive Service Association Manager Institute and has been an active member of ASE and the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association.

"In addressing independent and dealership automotive body shop owners and managers, Tom will focus on sharing proven techniques to leverage expertise and attract more business among insurers and consumers," Sweeney said.

Rich Altieri, general manager of MVP Services, added, "It's important for PPG to continue to provide our MVP Roundtable members and CertifiedFirst Network participants with concrete tools to use in their ongoing effort to improve performance with measurable results. We believe Tom's just the right person to share his philosophy with our customers."

About CertifiedFirst Network

The CertifiedFirst Network is the leading North American group of dealership and independent auto body repair centers. The standards for participating repair centers, consistent across the network, are verified by independent third parties and divided into two categories: an evaluation of the repair center itself regarding items from facilities to employee training, and measurement of customers' satisfaction. Visit www.certifiedfirst.com or call 1-866-CERT-1ST for more information.

About MVP Services

PPG developed MVP Services in 1994 as a leading-edge collision-center business development program to improve efficiency and growth, regardless of collision center size and structure. The MVP program helps redefine business, add value, reduce cost and improve performance. Elements include benchmarking, training, on-site support, special consulting and roundtable conferences.

About PPG Industries

Pittsburgh-based PPG is a global supplier of coating, glass, fiber glass and chemicals, with manufacturing facilities and equity affiliates in 23 countries. Sales were US$8.8 billion in 2003.